Falling in Love on the 3rd Floor
by Kitten Little
Summary: An UnSub is stalking a woman living in Reid's building. His strange, yet automatic, reaction is to protect her. The problem is, she may need protected from herself.
1. Chapter 1

Cris-Marie Carter ignored the flowers as soon as she got them out of the delivery girl's hands. _He needs to stop_, she thought, looking at the card. _I don't want to move again._

_Say yes or I'll kill one a week._

It was the first time he threatened someone, but Cris-Marie knew the police wouldn't do anything. She couldn't even get a restraining order. Replacing the card, she put the vase next to others. Each card had the same order and proposal. All she could hope was that he didn't show up tonight.

She walked out of her apartment and practically hit Dr. Spencer Reid from 3G with her purse. He was hurrying out his door too. "Sorry, Dr. Reid," she muttered.

"Oh, good morning." The young PhD appeared to be struggling with her name. "Your name is Crystal, right?

"Cris-Marie," the twenty-five year-old teacher corrected. "Um, I have to get to class. Fifth graders don't like having to wait for their teacher."

"Yeah, I have to get to work also." They walked to the single person stairway, and he let her start heading down first.

"Thanks," she said, nodding as he opened the door. "See you around, Dr. Reid." They headed in opposite direction.

---

Spencer Reid had slept in that morning and unfortunately ran into the newest young woman living in the building. It was embarrassing enough to surprise her, but he _had_ to forget her name as well. Before he could sit at his desk, J.J. called, "There you are! We're briefing."

Reid internally cursed his day and his clock, but walked to the conference room. He looked down at the file with a sigh.

"Bad morning?" Garcia asked.

"You don't even know," he grumbled.

"A body was found a few blocks from a private DC elementary school this morning. The crime seems random to police department, but they found this note."

Spencer took the photograph and read, "If I can't make her say yes, maybe this will. She has a week before the next one."

"We need to discover who she is," Rossi said. "I wouldn't be surprised if she looks like the victim did."

J.J. pressed a button on the remote. The body flashed onto the screen. The face had been stabbed beyond the point of recognition. "We don't have an ID. The fingerprints were burned off as well. Both were post-mortem. The cause of death was asphyxiation."

"It's a classic case of overkill. He's compensating for something. Probably the betrayal of the she. We need to find her as soon as possible. Her life may be in danger."

"We should start at the school. She may be a teacher."


	2. Chapter 2

"Miss Carter, I'm afraid we're going to keep the school closed for the rest of the week," the principal said, "There was body found less than a block from here."

Cris-Marie barely kept herself from cursing. "Of course, sir," she said, panic rising into her voice. She had just gotten this job. How could he have figured out where she worked already?

"Are you alright, Miss Carter?" her boss asked. "You look sick."

Although it was far from professional, Cris-Marie crossed her arms. It looked like she was warding off a chill. "Yes, I'm a little off this morning, sir," she admitted, avoiding eye contact. "But I can handle it. I take it that cops are going to want to talk to us?"

"It's okay, Miss Carter. Go home. I'll give them your contact information."

"Thank you, sir," she smiled faintly. "I'll be on the top of my game tomorrow; I promise." Her hands started shaking as soon as her back was to the building. She was going to have to quit before the week was over.

---

Reid spoke to the principal. "We don't know if the school is connected to the murder yet, but we'd like to speak to the staff. Have you called everyone in?"

"Yes, we're having a staff meeting at noon. Actually, no, everyone isn't on their way." The man looked worried. "I sent Miss Carter home. She looked shaken when I told her what happened. She's a younger woman, new to the area, brilliant teacher. Do you think she knows something?"

"We'll look into it," Morgan said. "Do you have her personnel file?"

"I can give you everyone's file if it helps, but Miss Carter doesn't seem like someone who would be involved in this. She reminds me of my daughter." The principal handed them a file. "This is her file."

Reid took it and quickly looked it over. "This teacher lives in my apartment building. I ran into her this morning."

"Is that why you were late?" Morgan said jokingly.

"No, she practically ran off when I tried to apologize. We were both running late."

"Maybe we should pay her a visit. Thank you, Mr. Holmes. A few of our agents will be here around noon."

---

Cris-Marie stared at her phone. She technically had a week to make up her mind. Was she going to run, call the cops, or marry the man she once imagined spending forever with? She didn't love him but he was the first one who loved her. She crumbled up the most recent card and sunk onto her sofa.

The door bell rang and she got up. "One moment, I'm coming!" She opened the door a few inches. "Hello?"

"Hi, Miss Carter," Dr. Reid greeted. "I'm guessing you've discovered that I work for the FBI. This is SSA Morgan. Can we ask you some questions?"

Cris-Marie stepped backed, letting them in. "This must be about the murder near my work. It wasn't a student, was it?"

"We don't have an ID, but it was an adult," Morgan said softly, looking around the room. "You have a lot of flowers. Who are they from?"

Cris-Marie wasn't expecting the question. Her hand went to her empty left ring finger. "Just a guy, he can't get over me. I don't know—" Her hand went over her mouth. "Sorry, personal information, not relevant. What do you need to know?"

Both agents shared a look when the young woman looked away. Morgan put a hand on her shoulder. "You have a stalker, Miss Carter. Do you understand the term escalation?"

She turned and looked at Reid. "What you're looking for is in the rubbish tin, Dr. Reid."

Reid slipped on a plastic glove and lifted the piece of paper from the can. He read it, but not aloud. "He wants you to marry him."

"I—I—I can't talk about this," she whispered. "Not yet. Please, get out of my apartment."


	3. Chapter 3

"Cris-Marie Carter, twenty-five," J.J. said. "She grew up moving from foster home to foster home. A few years ago she went to online college, paid by singing in a small-label rock band."

Garcia spoke up. "Drowned Wind toured in the Pacific Northwest starting from when Cris-Marie was in high school. The band reportedly split up because Cris-Marie wanted to finish her teaching degree. Rumor that ran around the Internet was that bass guitarist Davis wanted to marry her. She said no."

"Have we looked into Davis?" Morgan asked.

"No one knows if Davis is even his real name," Garcia admitted. "But if there's anything, I'll find it."

Prentiss pointed at the current photo of Cris-Marie. "She managed to completely change her appearance in a year. Her hair is straight now; she lives on the other side of the country. She's trying to get pass something in her past. Why was she in foster care?"

Garcia shook her head. "Mother died when she was eight, Dad was in and out of rehab. She and her little sister Joy were spilt up. Joy Bear Adams is seventeen goes to Cashmere High in Cashmere, Washington. She was adopted by one of the foster families. Man, that middle name would be horrible."

"Something happened that Cris-Marie isn't ready to talk about. There were boxes all over her apartment." Reid tapped her personnel file. "This is her first long term job in a year and her first teaching one. She's been trying to shake Davis since the band broke up."

"Maybe talking to a woman would help," Rossi mussed. "Emily, why don't you try?"

---

Cris-Marie spoke softly into the phone. "Hi."

"You got my message, love."

"Give me a few days, please. You know to repack and maybe buy a dress. I need to quit my job."

"Take as much time as you need. Betray me and I'll kill that agent who lives in your building, the one who held the door yesterday. And you have to start wearing a ring. I'll send one."

Cris-Marie's hands were shaking. "Don't kill anymore. Please."

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you," she sobbed. "I've always loved you."

"Be my wife."

"I will."

"Mess up and I'll go to your hometown and kill Joy Bear," Then, all she heard was dial tone.

---

Emily Prentiss noticed something was wrong the instant Cris-Marie let her in. She kept her left hand in her pocket and her eyes kept wandering to the phone. "Are you alright, Miss Carter?"

The hand in the pocket clenched. "It's okay," the teacher replied with a weary smile. "Lack of sleep mostly, the constant moving wears me out. I was hoping I could stay here."

Prentiss softly touched the young woman's left arm. "You're hand, is there something wrong with it?"

Cris-Marie closed her eyes briefly and pulled her hand out of her pocket. "No, I'm nervous."

Prentiss had to hide her horror when she saw the ring. "Congratulations. Who's the lucky guy?"

"Chuck Davis," she looked down. "It happened so suddenly. I wasn't even sure I was dating him then it just happened. You know? Some call it true love."

"What do you call it?"

"Living," the woman replied. "If you don't mind, I need to start planning. It's not every day when someone like me gets married. They used to tell me I never would."

"Of course. Good luck."


	4. Chapter 4

_And First, A Message from Our Authour:_

_Sorry it's taken so long. I've been in and out of the hospital. I'm having serious memory problems and I'm blacking out and shit. Hopefully, my brain will start working correctly again and I'll remember to keep posting._

"We need to find Cris-Marie Carter's medical records," Prentiss said as she came into the conference room. "She said someone like me and she had two identical scars on the back of her legs. One was covered by a dragon tattoo. And Davis' first name is Chuck."

Garcia nodded and went back to her computer. "On it."

"Reid, Morgan," Prentiss asked. "Was Carter wearing an engagement ring when you talked to her?"

"No."

The entire team seemed to weaken. "Cris-Marie said yes," Rossi said. "And if something goes wrong she's dead."

Hotch looked to Reid. "Get back to your apartment and stall her. Try convincing her that marrying Davis is a bad idea."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Reid asked. "I don't even know her."

"Try."

---

Cris-Marie ordered herself to answer the door and act like nothing was wrong. She silently hoped the profiler had gotten her subtle hint. She was ecstatic to see that it was her FBI neighbor. "Hey, Dr. Reid. What up?" she said causally.

He stepped in, looking nervous. "I was wondering if we could talk. Neighbor to neighbor." His eyes focused on her left hand. "No one else in this building has noticed you yet." He quickly saw something he hadn't noticed before. Cris-Marie's head was tilted a little to the left and her right knee looked locked. He racked his brain for the medical term he was looking for. "I don't mean to be rude, but do you have spastic dipledgia?"

The woman's eyes widened in surprise. With an honest smile, she said, "You're the first person who has noticed in a while. It's nice. Thank you. Let me guess, spasm in my right leg?"

He nodded. "Do you need help?" His voice cracked with nervousness. "I've never actually heard what you're supposed to do in this situation."

"Another five minutes and it would have given way." She sat down and forcibly bent her leg with a wince. "I've gotten numb to the pain. Please sit down."

"Can I get you anything, Cris?" he asked instead. "Tea, coffee, take-out?"

"We're in my apartment, bud," she replied. "You pointed it out. That was enough." She bit back another wince. "I'm going to be okay in few minutes. No one has ever just called me Cris."

Reid fidgeted a little. "Did I do something wrong? I—I don't want to upset you."

She stood slowly. "No. Never think so horribly of yourself." She touched his cheek. "I'd kiss you but I think Chuck's watching."

Reid stepped back from the gentle touch. He was falling for another victim. This kind of thing could ruin a case. He turned away. "This is inappropriate."

"I though you where here as my neighbor," Cris-Marie whispered, arm falling to her side. "But I understand that you're trying to catch Chuck. He killed that woman and he'll kill others if he can't have me."

"He'll escalate until he disregards his one a week rule and de-evolves."

"I said yes. Chuck will stop." It was her turn to hide her face.

"They don't stop," Reid said firmly, grabbing her shoulders. "Chuck is a sexual sadist. He needs to cause pain to get off. If he doesn't kill you, he'll turn to others and kill them."

Her shoulders' dropped and she sobbed. "I know, but I loved him once. I can love him again. We'll start a family and he'll see."

"You know you're lying," he whispered.

The phone rang and Cris-Marie stepped away. "Hello?"

"I don't make me kill another one, love. Make him go away."

"Dr. Reid, do you mind?" Cris-Marie said softly. "This is personal."

Reid instantly knew who she was talking to. "I'm down the hall if you need me, Cris-Marie." He stepped out.

"Thank you," Chuck said. "He was starting to annoy me. I didn't want to hurt him. What did he say?"

"He called you a sexual sadist. I told him he was lying. I know I'm in no position to make demands, but can we have a baby?"

He chuckled. "You know how dangerous a pregnancy would be. Don't be foolish."

"Please." She closed her eyes, preparing a lie. "I want to carry your child. I want to start a family with you. We're both clean now. If can't give me my baby, I'll go to someone else."

"I'm not going to let you kill yourself. Not when I just got you back."

"I mean it Chuck. I don't want anyone else to die but you've always known I think children are part of marriage."

"We can talk about this later," he grumbled. "I'll be away for a few days. I need to find us a house."

---

Spencer got off the phone with Hotch, after telling him Chuck was watching them. His door bell rang and a small voice whispered, "Dr. Reid, this is Cris." He opened the door, but before he could greet her, she muttered. "You're right. He's been lying to me. What can I do to help?"


	5. Chapter 5

Cris-Marie told them everything she knew about the former bassist. His background, the drug problem, no stone had gone unturned. Her eyes kept falling on Reid. "What do I do?" she whispered. "I told him I wouldn't go if we couldn't have a family. He's always been afraid of children. And honestly, I don't think he should have children."

"We need to set up a trap," Hotch replied. "You told him you'd go to someone else."

"But I won't have a physical relationship with someone until I'm married. One of my foster families taught me that. Chuck knows that."

"Then we set up a wedding," Rossi stated simply. "Put an ad in the newspaper, announcing a date and location. He won't be able to resist."

"What? That could work, but in two days? Who the hell am I going to marry?"

Everyone suddenly looked at Reid and they both said, "No."

"It won't be real," Rossi assured. "The minister won't know of course, but Davis should show up before you say I do."

"And if he doesn't show up at all?"

"Get it annulled, but we know he won't be able to stay away."

---

Reid was on pins and needles as one of under cover outfitters fitted him into a suit. He was the only one on the team who didn't actually own one. Morgan smirked. "Looking good, kid."

"I don't if I should be doing this, Morgan," Reid admitted. "I barely know Cris and I don't want to hurt her."

"You like her," Morgan mused. "And she likes you. This could be the start of a friendship."

"We're done," the woman said. "How does it feel?"

He shrugged. "It's okay. I hope she doesn't mind that it's casual."

---

"I'm looking for something casual. I have eight hundred dollars cash, and I'm getting married in two days," Cris-Marie told the shop owner quickly. "It doesn't need to white."

The shop keeper's eyes widened. "Is your fiancée military or are you an expectant mother?"

Cris-Marie smiled. "He's not military but his job is complicated. And no, I'm not expecting."

"I'll give you a discount any way." The woman pulled a few dresses off the rack. "Try this one." As the woman helped her fasten the back, she asked, "What's his name?"

"Spencer Reid. He works at the FBI." Cris-Marie barely looked at herself. "This works. It's a little long though. How long would it take to tailor it?"

"Whoa, Soon-to-be-Mrs.-Reid, you should never settle for the first dress."

"I have to settle for the first dress. I have an entire wedding to plan in two days. I'll even settle for the length."

"Are you sure?" the owner asked, helping her out of it. "A woman's wedding is the most important day in her life."

"It's not about the wedding. It's the commitment. Do you want eight hundred dollars or not?"

---

Reid smiled when Cris-Marie came in, carrying a dress bag. "I picked the cheapest one they had, off-white, nothing special. I just have to hope that it still fits in a few years."

"Cris," he whispered. "You don't have to do this."

She turned, glad they were alone. "I don't mind, Dr. Reid."

"You should call me Spencer," he muttered.

"Please don't make a wise crack, but," Suddenly, she made eye contact. "Is this for real?"

Reid wasn't sure how to reply. "It's a weird feeling," he agreed. "We just have to remind ourselves that this is for a sting operation."

"What if I didn't want it to be?"

**And Now, a Message from Your Writer:**

**There's actually a sequal to _Falling in Love on the 3rd Floor_ in the works._ Always the Gypsy _is the current title. Does that sound good?**


	6. Chapter 6

Cris-Marie's expression was honest, shy, and horrified. "I know I sound like a hapless idiot, but I need someone right now. I shouldn't be so reliant on a man. We can always avoid pregnancy and get a divorce."

Reid sat down. "Are you asking me to marry you? We just met."

"I guess I am," she muttered. "You can say no if you want to."

He suddenly stood up again and kissed her. After less then a minute, someone coughed. They pulled apart and both turned to look at Garcia. "Hi, Garcia," Reid mumbled.

"Is your friend?" the kind woman squealed. "Penelope Garcia."

Cris-Marie turned read. "Nice to meet you," she whispered. She kissed Reid's cheek. "I have to make a phone call. Where's the restroom?"

Garcia pointed the young woman down the hall. "Door is labeled." As soon as Cris-Marie was in the hall Garcia spoke to Reid. "I thought this was a sting."

"That was forty seconds ago." Reid spoke so softly Garcia barely heard him.

---

Cris-Marie dialed her sister's parents' phone number as soon as she was alone. "Mrs. Adams."

"Hi, Mrs. Adams," Cris-Marie said. "This is Joy's sister, Cris-Marie. I know it's not one of my approved calling times."

"She's not in," the woman replied. "And we don't care about what the judge says. Do you need someone to talk to? I can come over."

"You can't come over. I'm in Washington DC, Mrs. Adams. I've been here for months." Cris-Marie corrected. "I just need to tell her that I'm getting married."

"Honey, who is on the phone?" She heard Mr. Adam ask.

"Cris-Marie!" the woman called back to her husband. "She's engaged!"

"Put her on speaker phone!" It beeped.

"Why haven't you called sooner?" Joy's mother asked.

"We're just getting settled into it. I wasn't even going to call at first."

"Who is he?" the father asked. "Is he Christian?"

"_I'm_ not a Christian," she reminded them. "And it doesn't matter. He's a great guy. He works at the FBI. He's letting me keep my job. He's so much better then Chuck. I promise you. I'm clean; I don't even think he's done drugs. It's fine."

"What's his name, sweetie?" the man asked again.

"I'm twenty-five." She rolled her eyes. "You're not my parents. Tell Joy I called." She prepared to hit the END button.

"If you don't tell us, you'll never get to speak to her again."

_Damn. _Cris-Marie thought for a moment. "Dr. Spencer Reid. He's Behavior Analyst."

"Dr? Isn't that a little old for you?"

"Mr. Adams, please. He's in his late twenties. As soon as we can both get the same time off, we can come see you."

"Do you have someone to give you away? Why didn't he ask permission?"

"I asked him. Mr. and Mrs. Adams, I have to go. Tell Joy I called."

---

"I think I'm in love with her, Garcia."

"I noticed. Neither one of you appeared to be breathing. So, how long have you known she's the one?"

"I didn't say she was the one," the genius admitted. "I feel like I'm taking advantage of her. Her world's in turmoil. I'm only making it worse."

"From what I read, her world has always been upside down. She needs someone like you. You're hopelessly predicable. Don't look so nervous, baby cakes."

"I'm not sure she knows what she's getting into. We haven't gotten around to talking about my parents or her sister. I barely know her." The woman in question came back in and slipped her hand into his. He kissed her forehead. "You okay?"

"I just spoke to Joy's parents," she whispered. "They've always treated me like one of their own, but they've crossed the line. I'm not some object that needs to be given away with permission."

Garcia took her leave, noticing the heated look on the other woman's face. "Call if you need anything."

Reid watched in horror as Cris-Marie turned away from him. "IF THEY WANTED TO CRAM THEIR BELIEFS DOWN MY THROAT, THEY COULD HAVE ADOPTED ME!" she screamed at the ceiling, clenching her fists.

Reid saw the hot tears rolling down his fiancée's cheeks. She was visibly shaking with sobs. "It's okay, Cris. They're not worth the trouble."

"They threatened to take away all contact with Joy Bear! I CAN'T ACT LIKE IT'S NOTHING! SHE'S MY SISTER; DAMN IT!"

"Your sister lives in a traditional family. Maybe I should try talking to them?"

The woman looked exhausted, and sank onto one of the chairs. She fiddled with her visitor's badge. "I guess." Her voice was hoarse and thick with tears.

He gently took her cell phone from her hand and found the appropriate number. A man answered on the first ring. "You've reached the Adams residence."

"This is Dr. Spencer Reid. I think you just spoke to my fiancée, Cris Carter. There's been some sort of misunderstanding on both our parts."

Cris-Marie glared at him, but let the profiler do what he was good at.

"Hello, son," Mr. Adams said in way of greeting. "I want you to know that we consider Cris-Marie one of our own. I'm going to ask you a few questions and you are going to answer them truthfully. Am I understood?"

Reid noticed that Adams flat out ordered him to answer the questions. It was clear sign that he was a dominating personality, most likely ex-military. "Yes, sir."

"Are you a Christian, son?"

"I know my Bible, sir. My parents taught me well."

Cris-Marie was looking at him with an interested expression. This was a learning experience for her too.

"How long have you known our Cris-Marie?"

Now, it was time for a well-place half-truth. "We've been living in the same building since August."

"It's November now, young man. Why has it taken this long for you to ask her?"

"Sir, I thought maybe this would be a little out of the blue for all involved."

"My wife and daughters have been praying for Cris-Marie to find someone decent since she met Charles Davis and joined that band. You refereed to yourself as a doctor. What sort of doctor are you?"

"Mathematics, Science, and Engineering. I'm also working on degrees in Psychology and Sociology."

"When are you getting married?"

"Before Christmas." Cris-Marie snorted, but it wasn't a lie. "We really need to get going, Mr. Adams."

"Come visit," the man ordered before the line went dead.


	7. Chapter 7

"Your sister's father is an interesting individual," Reid said as they walked into their building.

"If by interesting you mean a Bible thumping, racist, male chauvinistic pig, then yes," Cris-Marie mumbled. "Joy's father is the most interesting man in the known universe."

"Was Joy her original name?" he asked softly.

Cris-Marie shook her head. "It was Mai. They adopted her when she was two. I was ten. Apparently, no one wants to adopt older kids."

"My? Spelled M-Y?"

"M-A-I," she corrected. "I picked it. I was an ignorant little girl who thought my parents having another baby would keep my mom from going cuckoo."

"Post-partum depression?" he asked softly, squeezing her hand.

"I was eight. I honestly don't know." She looked through him, thinking about the past.

"We're staying in my apartment tonight. I hope you don't mind." He reached out to unlock the door, but it was already unlocked. He put his finger to his lips and pulled his side arm. "Take my phone and call Hotch."

"Which one's Hotch?" she hissed back, taking the phone from his back pocket.

"A. Hotchner. Go. I love you."

---

"What is it, Reid?"

"This isn't Reid," Cris-Marie whispered. "It's Cris-Marie. We were going to stay in his apartment but—" Her words her drowned out by two gun shots. She screamed.

"We're on our way," Hotch said. "Stay where you are and stay calm."

Within five minutes, the cops pulled up. Cris-Marie was shaking, as one of the cops asked, "Did you see something, ma'am?"

"My fiancée and I were coming home and the door was unlocked," she whispered. "He's an FBI agent and he had his gun, so he told me to get out of the building. Oh my god, I hope he's okay."

"Which apartment is it, ma'am?"

"3G."

The officer's next question was interrupted by the arrival of the FBI. They were vested and were moving toward them. "You okay, Cris?" Morgan asked her.

She nodded. "FBI, one of our men is up there, officers," Hotchner told the police. "We're here to help if you need it."

"His wife—"

"Fiancée," Cris-Marie corrected.

"Said he was armed, and I'm not even sure I trust having one Fed up there, let alone a whole team. Just tell me how good a shot he is."

"Decent."

---

Reid's side burned. Chuck Davis had shot him twice. The man stood over him with a smirk. "Thought you could take her from me, did you?

"No," he coughed. "She came to me. I didn't think I was taking anything. Believe me."

"I made that girl who she is."

"You mean a barely recovered drug addict?"

The gun suddenly came to his temple. "The only reason I'm letting you die slowly is so she'll learn not to disobey me. Killing you is so much easier then killing her sister."

"Coward," he said through clenched teeth. "You'd rather ambush an FBI agent then kill a little girl."

The gun started to shake. "I am not!"

Reid's vision blurred a little, but he managed to stay conscious. "You didn't want to kill that woman, Chuck. You don't want to kill me. You know Cris doesn't like it when people die. Her whole life has been death after death. You'll only make her go back to the drugs. You know that they hurt her and can make her spasms worse. If you love her, you'll leave us alone."

With a crash, the apartment door opened and Morgan said, "Put down the gun, Chuck. I don't want to shoot you."

Chuck cocked the gun and a shot was fired.


	8. Chapter 8

Cris-Marie held onto Reid's limp hand once they let her in the room. He was alive; Chuck wasn't. That's all that mattered. "Hi, Spencer. It's Cris. They say you're going to make it. I can't stay for long; I have to work tomorrow." Garcia knocked on the door softly. "I'll come back as soon as I can." As she headed out the door, she caught a note written on small white board, _naiads only. _She wondered what it meant, but didn't ask.

"How's my baby?" the technical analyst asked.

"Out but he's going to be okay." Cris-Marie wrapped her arms around her chest. "It seems weird that's really over. I've been running from Chuck in one way or another for two years. I need something to take the edge off."

"No, you don't," Garcia assured.

"This is my fault. I fell too fast." She started pacing. "If I had never knocked into him in the hall, he'd be uninjured."

"Sweetie, you'd probably be in that hospital bed instead."

"I need to go home."

"I'll drive you."

"Not here home. I need to see my sister. He threatened her. She probably never knew, but I need to make sure she's okay."

"You need to be here for Spencer. He's crazy about you, honey cakes. Your sister will be fine."

Cris-Marie walked outside of the hospital, and almost instantly her cell rang. "Hello?" she mumbled.

"Crissi, I have to get out of this place."

"Joy Bear," the tired teacher groaned. "Do you know what time it is here?"

"How long have you known my name was Mai?" her sister demanded. "How long have you let them lie to me?"

"Joy, where are you?"

"Look, either you send me money for a flight or I'm hitchhiking to DC."

"You do know that Cashmere and the District are on the opposite sides of the country, right?" Cris-Marie started tapping her foot. "You are not hitchhiking anywhere. You are getting on the Link Bus and you are going home. Am I understood?"

The girl on the other side mumbled something that Cris-Marie barely caught. It sounded like, "She's no better than they are."

"Joy, go home," she ordered in her 'I am the teacher' tone. "When Spencer gets out of the hospital, he and I will—"

"When were you going to tell me about this Spencer guy anyway?"

It was obvious that grown up tone wasn't to work. "Will you go home if I promise you can come see me during Thanksgiving break? I'll ask your folks and everything."

The bribe seemed to work. "Don't tell them I called okay?" Cris-Marie didn't want to deal with her sister. She needed to Goggle nasaids before she forgot.

---

Reid woke to see Cris-Marie sitting on the hospital floor, surrounded by grading. "What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Five PM," she replied, looking up from her work. "I just got settled. Do you need something?" Her tone was tight, almost angry.

If his head hadn't been pounding, he would have shaken it. "What are you doing?"

"Grading math," she muttered, "Would you like to tell me why your co-workers told the doctor not to give you anything stronger than an over-the-counter naiad?—whatever that means."

That would explain why his head hurt. They weren't giving him pain medication. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry!" She suddenly knew what that meant. "Is that all you can say?" She had left one drug addict for another. "I've told you everything, Spencer! I know you've been shot, but honesty would have been nice!" The tears came, fast and unashamed. "I thought I loved you!"

Reid should have known this relationship was too good to be true. She hadn't stood and sat just out of his reach. "Maybe we should start over," he mumbled. "Then you can see if you really love me."

"Do you honestly think that'll fix everything?" The edge to her voice didn't waver as she picked up her work. "I better get back to my apartment. See you around."

---

**It's almost finals week, so I might not update a lot. So, instead, I'll tell you what else to read. I have a friend that's on here too. Her user name is AJ Edwins. It's been a while since she's udpated and she doesn't like Criminal Minds *Gasp*, but she and I have similar writing styles. Go bug her and she might actually update!!!**


	9. Chapter 9

Although he was out of the hospital, Reid didn't have the courage to check on Cris-Marie. He knew she was hurting, but he couldn't bring himself to knock on her door. His first day back at work, he sunk into his desk with a sigh.

"What's wrong, kid?" Morgan asked. "You look down."

"Cris and I had a disagreement."

"A disagreement that's lasted three weeks?" Prentiss asked, sitting down at her own desk. "What happened?"

"I forgot to mention the Dilaudid," he admitted slowly. "I wasn't sure how she would react. She's angrier because I waited for her to find out instead of telling her. I wish I knew how to apologize."

"You just did," a soft voice said. Cris-Marie was standing there, one arm across her chest. "The semester is over. The teacher I was subbing for got off leave and I lost the apartment. I needed to say goodbye; that's all." The entire team had seen the look on Cris-Marie's face before. On unsubs, on surviving victims, it was the look of someone who had given up. The smile on her face was only surface deep. "But I'm okay. I never stay in one place long, anyway."

To Reid, she looked younger. He could imagine what she looked when her mother died, fragile, abandoned, and frightened. "Where are you going to go?" he whispered. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but…" He wasn't sure how to be polite, but he needed to say it. "You look like you need help."

That's what made him realize he didn't know her well. Cris-Marie didn't appear to be reacting at all. She blinked once. "I know, Dr. Reid," she whispered. "Without Chuck, I'm a little confused. I don't have anything to run from anymore, do I?"

Reid was mildly surprised by her honesty. He looked to his co-workers for some sort of hint of what to o next, but he couldn't read their expressions. "Cris," Reid gulped after a few intense, yet silent moments. "Maybe you should—you could—stay with me. I mean, just until you know what to do next."

Cris' expression finally, but slowly, changed. She paled and her voice increased in pitch. "Really?" she asked.

Prentiss pushed Cris toward her desk chair. "Sit down. Do you need coffee or something?"

The young woman shook her head in reply. "No thanks."

Reid stood and sat on the edge of the desk his neighbor was resting her elbows on. "I know it's sudden, Cris," he mumbled. "You don't have to stay with me."

She looked him right in the face and smiled softly. Her eyes glistened with tears. "I just think I might convince myself this is too good to be true if I think about it too much." She said with unnecessary wordiness. "So, before I do that, I'll say yes. You got yourself a roommate."

---

Apparently, only Cris-Marie's living room contained boxes. There were a dozen boxes, a couple bags of clothes, and two guitars. She had shoved them all into the back of a Volkswagen Bus. Spencer grabbed the guitar with the shoulder strap and a box. The box was heavy.

Cris-Marie took it from him and put it back on the van's floor. "The boxes can stay in here, Dr. Reid," she mumbled. "They're just books. I'm sure a genius like you has plenty." She grabbed two bags of clothes and the other guitar. "I'll go job searching tomorrow."

"You don't need to find a job right away," he mumbled back. "You've been through a lot, Cris. I can't expect you do anything."

"Don't fight me on this, Supervisory Special Agent Dr. Reid," she said, more jokingly than sourly. "I'm getting a job as soon as I can. I'm not going to mooch off you."

"Please, call me Spencer," he said, taking one of remaining clothes bags. "This isn't mooching. We _are_ engaged."

She shook her head, and pulled her hair into a high pony. "That was meant to be a trap. We weren't even friends before that stuff with Chuck." She jumped out of the bus. "Are you coming?"

He struggled to catch up to her on the stairs. "Cris, I—I don't—really—I—"

"It's okay, Dr. Reid," she said, not turning around. "We're just friends right now, all right?"

There were so many things he wanted to say in that moment, but he couldn't manage to say anything.


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning after Spencer went to work; Cris-Marie dressed, pulled her hair into a lower pony, and walked to a small diner a few blocks away. "Hey, toots," an older woman asked as she sat down. "What can I get you?"

Cris-Marie smiled faintly. "A job," she sighed, spinning on a stool and taking a sip of the black coffee. "And some way to tell my roommate I might be in love with him."

"Well, what kind of experience you got?"

"I was in a rock band and I teach on the side. I'm between both types of gigs." She had never referred to teaching as a gig before. She had always imagined it being her career, but it wasn't working out that way. "My roommate says I don't need to get a job, but I need something to do. Right now, I'm just sleeping on his sofa."

"How old are you, toots?"

"I'm twenty-five. Name's Cris Carter." She would have shaken the waitress' hand but the cook rung his little bell at that exact moment.

"Order up, Alana!"

Alana quickly took the plate of food to the man sitting in the back booth. "Here you go, Karl."

"You from around here, Carter?" the cook asked.

"No, sir," she replied. "North Central Washington," she paused. "The State."

"You don't look like a rock star. You hiding a tattoo or something?"

"They're good for covering scars. I have a European dragon on the back of my right leg and a dragon's eye on each of my shoulder blades."

"Whatcha do to your leg?"

"Ill-fated attempt to reverse a brain-based birth defect. All it did was put me in casts for a month and make it so I can't wear heels."

"You're not going to want to wear heels working here, toots," Alana said. "You'll be on your feet all day."

"I'm hired?" Cris-Marie was surprised. "Great! I wasn't even considering waitressing! When I do start?"

The woman threw her a uniform. "Tomorrow morning. Let's say four?"

"4 AM? Got it. I better get home and call my roommate, so he doesn't wake me up when he gets home."

"About that, toots. Maybe you should…"

"Thank you, Alana, cook, guy in back named Karl. I'll see you tomorrow."

---

Reid's desk phone rang. "SSA Dr. Reid."

"Hi, Spencer. It's Cris-Marie."

He looked around the bull pen. Everyone was working. "Hey, Cris. Is something wrong?"

"No, Spencer. I'm fine. I did get a job though. It starts tomorrow. I have to get up really early, so if I'm asleep when you get home, try not to wake me up okay?"

"What sort of job?"

"The diner down the street. Morning shift."

"That's—um—great, but aren't you over qualified?"

"You're talking to me about over qualification?"

"Okay, sorry. See you later?"

"Of course, Spence."

"Love you." Then all he could hear was the dial tone.


	11. Author's Note

Hey, you guys! It's KL and this is not an actual chapter of any sort! I'm pasting this identical note on every single WIP (Work in Progress) fiction I have. Writing _Defining Merci_ (FYI, it's a Criminal Minds fiction) had pushed my mind into a v. dark place and even my college professors are noticing. Therefore, I have decided to not write anything for Merci for a least a month and choose only one not as dark fiction to write that entire month and post one chapter a week.

That is starting in July. For the rest of June I'm not writing anything, but I am putting a poll up so you lot can choose what fiction I focus on for July Here are you choices:

_Progress_, sequel to _Stuck_, a Bree Twilight fiction

_Darkness Always Comes: the Diary of Felicity Anne Peachflint_, an Original Character Harry Potter fiction

_Dark Moon_, a True Werewolf Twilight fiction

_Denying the Moon, _a True Werewolf Twilight fiction

_Little Moon, _a True Werewolf Twilight fiction

_Falling in Love on the 3__rd__ floor, _a Spencer/OC Criminal Minds fiction

I will not count review only votes. You use poll or not get counted at all. Also, it will be a blind poll.


	12. Chapter 11

**A/N: I am really struggling with this story, so if it's terrible, don't hesitate to stop reading and tell me so. Here we go…**

Several Weeks Later…

"Hey, Spence," JJ said softly, gripping the file in her hands so hard her knuckles turned white. "We have a situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Two more teenage girls have gone missing from the city near Cris-Marie's hometown and one of them is Joy."

"Her sister?"

"I want to take this case, but given your relationship with Cris-Marie, I think it's best that you stay behind. I know Hotch will probably say the same thing, and as soon as she finds out, she's going to want to rush over there."

"She'll be under foot." Spencer quickly stood, gathering up his belongings. "I suppose I should be on my way back to the apartment."

"Isn't Cris-Marie at work?"

"All right. I'm off to the diner."


End file.
